Swinging gate



( No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. D. WILSON.

SWINGING GATE.

No. 590,870. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet'2.

W. D. WI LSON. SWINGING GATE.

No. 590,870.- Patented Sept. 28,1897.

W1). VVzZson/ 3? Invezzior 1 point through the mediation of the hingesdistance apart substantially in the uusal man- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

IVILLIE DURFFEE WVILSON, OF SIDNEY, ILLINOIS.

SWINGING GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,870, datedSeptember 28, 1897.

Application filed December 17, 1896- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIE DURFFEE WIL- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sidney, in the county of Ohampaign and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin SwingingGates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in swinginggates, and has particular reference to that form of gate which isautomatically actuated from a more or less distant point.

The details of constructioninvolved in my invention will be fully setforth in the follow ing specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, made a part of this application.

The object of my invention is the provision of a simply-constructedlocking device or latch which may readily be applied to gates of theusual or any preferred construction, rendering it promptly responsive toa slight downward pull upon a lever disposed at a convenient point, aswill be fully set forth.

A further object is to so mount the gate that it may be readily adjustedat a desired which I have provided. I

It may be stated that the essential feature of value of my inventionresides in the fact that I have provided a peculiar form-of latch andmeans consisting of a rocking shaft for controlling the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention in its complete operative condition. Fig. 2 is a detailed sideelevation of the gate and its actuating mechanism separated from theother parts. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a detailedperspective view of the hinges.

For convenience of reference the various details will be designated byfigures, each referring to the same part throughout the sev eral views.

In carrying out my invention the gate-posts proper, 1 and 2, are-erectedat a convenient Serial No. 616,098. (No model.)

ner, the former being provided with the keeper 3, adapted to receiveupon its inclined or beveled edge 4 the latch secured to the gate. Thepost 2 is provided near its lower end with the guide or staple 5,adapted to be encircled by a suitable form of eyelet, or collar 6,secured near the lower end of the end of the gate. The post 2 is alsoprovided near its upper end with the graduated holder 7, locatedimmediately above the guide or staple 5 just referred to and designed topermit a vertical adjustment of the gate by causing the retaining-hook8, secured to the upper part of the gate-frame, to be engaged with anypreferred one of the graduated seats 9.

A gate of the usual or any preferred construction is mounted in positionupon the hinge just described, so as to cooperate with the posts 1 and2, and is provided with the reciprocatory latch 10, preferably extendingfrom one end of the gate to the other between central bars thereof andprovided with the section 11 and the anchoring end 12, the latter beingpreferably arranged to lie parallel with the latch proper and reachingloosely through an aperture provided for'it. The outer end of the latchis designed to extend past the gate-frame after passing through asuitable aperture into engagementwith the keeper. I prefer to so bendthe latch that the outer end 14 thereof willlie in a higher plane thanthe remaining portion. By thus forming upon the free end of the latchthe upper extending section 13 and the terminal section 14 I provide forthe elevation of the end of the latch that it may engage and cooperatewith its keeper. 'lhis elevation of the free end of the latch iseffected by a trans verse bolt or pivot point 15, extending through thegate-frame and the aperture 16 provided therein. By this arrangement thelatch may be freelyreciprocated in its aperture and between the bars ofthe gate, bringing the inclined section 13 into engagement with the bolt15, causing the latch to ride up and down as the same is moved backwardand forward.

In order that the latch may be cheaply and readily constructed, it ispreferably formed of a piece of wire of suitable character shaped in themanner specified and provided near its- ICO inner end with theoverlapping section or loop 17, providing a pivotal point for the arm18. Said arm'being attached by its outer end to said loop is connectedat its otherend with the crank 19, while the opposite end of saidcrankjs rigidly secured to the rocking shaft ,20,provided with suitablebearings in the posts 2 and 21. The crank 19 is secured to said shaft ata point thereon contiguous to the gate, while to the opposite end ofsaid shaft I rigidly secure the operating-crank 22, designed to formpivotal connection with the controlling-arm 23, pivoted at its upper endto the beam 24. It will be seen that the controlling-arm 23 and theoperating-crank 22 practically form a toggle-joint, while the same maybe said with respect to the crank 19 and the arm 18.

The beam 2a is so pivoted in position upon the post 25 that its innerend will lie immediately over the controlling-lever with which it isconnected by means of the arm 23, as above specified, and by thisarrangement it will be readily appreciated that a downward pull upon thehandle 26, attached to the outer end of said beam, will resultin theelevation of its inner end, bringing the operating-crank 22 into avertical position and incidentally partly rotating the rocking shaft 20,thus causing the crank 19 to draw upon the latch through theintermediation of the link 18, resulting, first, in a withdrawal of saidlatch from engagement with its keeper, and, secondly, causing the gateto swing around into engagement with the keeper 27, provided upon theretaining-post erected at a convenient point to perform this oflice.

It will be understood that a pair of beams 24 and posts 25 may beprovided, each designed to perform the office of opening and closing thegate from opposite sides thereof. Said beams are preferably soconstructed and mounted in position upon their respective posts that theinner ends thereof will be held by gravity in a depressed position,tending to cause the point of connection between the levers and arms topass the dead-center both during the opening and closing process of thegate, adding further to the security of its position, thus reinforcingthe action of the latch. It will of course be understood that where itis not convenient to form the inner ends of the beams of such size aswill cause them to be normally depressed a counterpoise consisting ofany suitable weight may be added to the inner ends of said beams. Ifdeemed necessary, the upper end of the post 21 may be extended andprovided with the guide or loop 29, intended to receive the inner endsof the beams and hold them one above the other to their work. By thisarrangement one of the beams may be pivoted directly to the arm 23,while the other beam may be pivoted to a loop or guide section 30, thuscompensating for the movement due to the elevation and depression ofsaid beams.

The operation of my improved automatic gate may be stated to be asfollows: The party desiring to pass through the gate may approach fromeither side and without dismounting from his horse or leaving thevehicle may grasp the operating-handle 26 and give a sharp downward pullthereto. This action causes the pivot end of the operatingcrank 19 toact upon the arm 18 and the latch 10, withdrawing the outer end thereoffrom engagement with the keeper secured to the post 1. The firstorpartial withdrawal of the latch disengages it from its keeper, whilethe continued pull withdraws the latch still farther, until the loop 17contacts with the stop 17, causing the gate to be swung around towardthe keeper 27, upon theinclined face of which the end of the latch isadapted to ride and be secured.

During the process just referred to of opening the gate it will beunderstood that when the operating-lever is brought into a verticalposition itsupper end will pass the deadcenter, causing the weight ofthe inner ends of the beams when the operating-handle is released torest thereon, when the impetus given to the gate in the initial act ofopening it will force the upper end of said lever past the dead-center,causing the weight of the beams to automatically continue and completethe opening process. The gate being thus opened admits of the freepassage of the vehicle, when a downward pull of the other lever willactuate the operative devices and close the gate.

By the means which I have provided and fully set forth in the foregoingspecification it will be seen that a reliable means has been providedfor holding the gate in a securelylocked position both when it is openedand closed, preventing the damage often resulting from leaving a gate inan open condition, free to move as the wind may direct. The gate may beeasily raised or lowered to compensate for varying conditions of theroadway or for a settlement or leaning propensity of the gate-post bysimply lifting the gate into a higher or lower notch formed by thegraduated hinge. If deemed necessary, the post provided to sustain theweight of the gate may be reinforced by securing or anchoring at asuitable point the lower end of the rod 31, the outer end of which isconnected to the upper end of said post. In order to take up any slackupon the said rod, I provide the turnbuckle 32, the ends of which areprovided in the usual manner with a right and? left screw-th read,connecting it with said r0 Having thus described the construction,operation, and advantages of my improved gate, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A swinging gate provided with a reciprocating latch extending throughthe entire gate-frame, having its front part curved upward to form alatch, and its rear part curved downward and forward to limit theforward movement of the latch and afiord a secure anchorage for thesame, and means to operate the gate, as set forth.

2. A swinging gate provided with a reciprocating latch extending throughthe entire gate, and having a loop in its body part, a stop at the rearof the loop a link connecting the loop and a crank-arm, and means tooperate said gate.

3. A swinging gate, having a reciprocating latch composed of a singlerod twisted to form a loop in its body part, said latch eX tendingthrough the entire gate-frame, and curved downward and forward at itsrear end, a stop at the rear of said loop to limit the movement of thelatch and open the gate, and means to operate the same, as set forth.

4. A swinging gate having a reciprocating latch provided with a loop, astop on said gate against which the loop strikes to open the gate andmeans connected with the loop to operate the gate, as set forth.

5. A vertically-adjustable swinging gate provided with a collar and aretaining-hook and a gate-post having a staple and a graduated inclinedholder having seats, all arranged and combined as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIE DURFFEE W ILSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. JOHNSTON, J. W. BOCOOK.

